All posts tagged: mental-health

Wisdom from a Tree

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I got chased out my apartment this morning by very loud drilling resonating from downstairs. There was just no way I could meditate at home, so I got dressed and headed out to the park. Even though I love meditating in the park, I was slightly annoyed. So off I trotted and found a spot of shade under a big, beautiful tree that I often meditate near. As I was about to begin, I couldn’t help but be disturbed by the obvious traffic noise beside me. I considered moving deeper into the park but it was already very sunny and hot and not much shade available. Then I thought maybe I should stick with this. I looked up at this big, sturdy tree in front of me and wondered how he manages to stay so calm amidst all the chaos. So strong, so serene, so steady. The complete opposite of me. I wanted some of that. And then it hit me. There’s always that quiet, peaceful place within us. I know people often say that, but have you ever …

Update on ‘A Month Without Facebook’

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So I did it, a whole month without Facebook, and to be honest it felt good. It wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it would be and I was far more productive, focused on things that are important to me (as I mentioned in  my previous blog). I felt freer and strangely more empowered. Now I am back on Facebook, and already feel myself falling into old patterns again, and it’s only been a week. Hmmm… The problem is it’s too easy to get sucked into looking at something and then suddenly an hour has gone and I’m browsing through people’s random lives, filling my mind with unnecessary clutter (a similar effect as watching too much TV). This ‘stuff” then subconsciously stays on my mind, and I woke up this morning realising I’d dreamt about someone I hadn’t seen since schooldays. I don’t like this feeling of something having control over me, and I don’t want my mind unknowingly filled with other people’s crap. So I should just delete my account and be done with it… …

A Month Without Facebook

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Well 7 days so far, and counting. Inspired by Leo Babauta of Zen Habit’s “A Year of Living Without” blogs I decided to take on the challenge. He is one of my favorite bloggers and every month he writes a beautiful piece on something he’s lived without – be it sugar, sitting all day, restaurants, coffee or all day internet, every blog is insightful and inspiring. I have had a break from Facebook once before but only lasted about a week until I was lured back in. There are of course some things that I love about Facebook, especially as an expat living abroad, but lately it’s felt more like an energy vampire than a friend. This past week I have been super productive. I feel like I’ve had more time (and energy) to focus on things that I love doing or that I’ve wanted to start but have procrastinated over. So far this week I’ve: – started going to early morning chi kung classes in the park (followed by some yoga) – started learning Chinese – been blogging again – …

Aaah Nostalgia…

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nos·tal·gia:  A sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.   I am busy preparing for my move to Taiwan, and part of that preparation is a major decluttering. I’ve had some boxes and bags stored at my parent’s farm for a few years now and it’s finally time to let them go. Sometimes I feel like life is a beautiful act of learning to let go. Releasing our attachment to physical forms that weigh us down and make us heavy, releasing our attachment to people, outcomes, feelings and experiences; freeing us up for the new that life has to offer. I’ll never forget the lightness I felt when I left South Africa to live in Japan a few years back, leaving with nothing but my backpack and a small carry bag. It was liberating! And now as I venture out into the world again, this time I plan to be gone for a lot longer so I want to free myself up  just a little more. Whilst decluttering, …

Day 6: Getting into the flow

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Today’s post is inspired by a special friend of mine who has been through a lot of change lately. In fact, this seems to be a pattern in many people’s lives, including my own. So how can we calm ourselves in these overwhelming times and learn to let go of the reins a bit? First, we have to accept what is, knowing that we won’t feel this way forever and things will change soon enough. And then they’ll change again. And again. Isn’t that the beauty of life? We can view the unknown from a place of fear or we can embrace it and feel excited about the future, knowing that there’s a reason we are going through whatever we are going through right now, and in the end it all works out for the greater good. So instead of fighting and resisting, we learn to accept things as they are and imagine them as we’d like them to be. We meditate. We move – yoga, chi kung or a walk on the beach (whatever …

Day 5: Our body cells are consciousness

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“When you think a thought you offer a vibration that is emphatically influential to the vibration of your body. But your body isn’t listening and rejecting, your body is just in the proximity of it and benefiting by the vibration or not. Being lifted and buoyed by it; being allowed by it or being hindered by it.” I understand the interconnectedness of body and mind but until now I hadn’t fully grasped the fact that as we are thinking we are manifesting, automatically, whether we like it or not. But it makes perfect sense – my body is a reflection of my emotional and mental state and even though right now it’s under a bit of stress and strain, I have the power through my thoughts and visualisation to change this reality. How amazing is that! I think the key is to start thinking of ourselves as vibrational beings, instead of stuck physical mass. Just think what fun we can have in our lives as we co-create with our ever-abundant, beautiful universe. “My cells are vibrational …

Day 4: Releasing tightness

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It feels so good to just sit in meditation and actually feel your body relax completely. That feeling of letting go and surrendering into the moment. Just sitting, focusing on your breath with nothing else to do except be present. We carry around so much tension in our bodies, day in and day out, the least we can do is give ourselves 15 minutes a day to just let go. As we release tightness in the body, we release tightness in the mind. I reckon that’s something worth making time for.

Day 3: Learning to let go of ‘perfection’

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“If you can let go of imperfection, perfection will appear by itself .” – Deepak Chopra Everyday I try and let go a little of how I think I should look, act and feel. I know I put too much pressure on myself, always trying to be and do my best and yet never really feeling like it’s enough. This super critical attitude  shines a spotlight on my imperfections which leaves me feeling even less perfect than before. So essentially I’m creating this cage of imperfection when in fact I should just be basking in the absolute beauty of this moment, the amazingness of how our human bodies work, the perfection that is present in every living thing and the interconnectedness of it all.

Day 2: Accepting what is

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Today I really wanted to go to tai chi, I mean REALLY wanted to go. But I couldn’t – I’ve had glandular fever for the past few months and symptoms seem to vary dramatically day-to-day. I was so excited because I haven’t been able to do any exercise at all and the idea of some movement was super appealing. Anyway, one thing I have learnt through this ordeal is the value in accepting what is, which doesn’t mean giving up and wallowing in negativity. It simply means “ok I feel like this today but it is going to pass and I will feel better soon”. I can reach for a better feeling place (even if that’s just a feeling of hope) and I can remember what it feels like to be well and healthy and energetic. I can imagine myself doing cartwheels on the sand and swimming in the ocean and having fun with my friends… I can almost feel it. It’s about finding that place of non-resistance instead of fighting against my body and …

Day 1: Letting go of S

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S has been a part of my life ‘on and off’ for the past few months, until I finally decided last Monday that there’ll be no more on time for us. What have I learnt through this experience? I’ve learnt that when you feel like someone is making more withdrawals than deposits into your life, you’ll be out of balance and in the negative before you know it. (Ref: 10 signs it’s time to let go) I’ve learnt that whatever relationships I’ve attracted into my life at this moment are exactly what I need for my evolvement through this life journey, and I’m grateful for every one of them. I’ve learnt that people’s actions really do speak louder than words and their depth can never be overvalued. I’ve learnt that the most important thing that you can do for yourself in any given moment is to feel good, and if a situation is leaving you feeling bad then you’ve gotta reach for a better feeling place. (thanks Abraham Hicks!) I’ve learnt that we attract what we think …

Why I Meditate…

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I meditate because: – when I don’t, I feel disconnected and get ever more caught up in my ‘monkey mind’ and all of its fears, uncertainties and contradictions – it sets the tone for the entire day. I seem to be able to handle situations better (not be so reactive), have more understanding and acceptance of people/situations and everything feels lighter and brighter – it is the only time (apart from sleeping) when we connect back to source, to our soul and universal consciousness. Everyday we live our lives distracted by the mind’s constant chattering… regrets about the past, worries about the future. Meditating brings us back into the present moment, it centres us and breeds clarity, opening us up to unimaginable spheres of love and creativity – it reminds me that we are all connected, everything and everyone on this planet. It helps reestablish that connection within me and brings about a sense of gratitude and appreciation of the beauty that surrounds me – of course it opens us up to new levels of …